1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microneedle bio-sampling apparatus and, more particularly, to a microneedle bio-sampling apparatus capable of preventing repeated bio-sampling by a single-use (or disposable) microneedle.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a pathological examination is an examination in which a tissue sample is removed from a patient's living body in order to diagnose a disease present therein, an important process in diagnosing and treating diseases in patients.
However, conventionally, large tissue samples have been taken from patients by using large living body inspection instruments, so large quantities of reagents have been required to analyze tissue samples. In addition, in conventional tissue-sampling methods, patients must endure a certain degree of pain and face risks in accordance with a surgical procedure.
As a solution to the existing problem, a microbiopsy/precision cutting device using a microfabrication process and a precision process has been proposed. This technique is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,161, entitled “Microbiopsy/Precision Cutting Devices” co-invented by Krulevithch, P., et al.
However, the microbiopsy/precision cutting device involves a relatively complicated biopsy process and requires an operator to be skilled in the technique of the use thereof, and can only perform a function of collecting a tissue sample, lacking the ability to perform a treatment function such as treating lesions in body tissue by injecting medication into the body tissue.
A general needle is used as an instrument for sampling an analysis material such as blood, or the like, for clinically diagnosing various diseases, obtaining a bio-sample from biological tissue, injecting medication into a living body, and the like. A majority of needles currently used for such purposes are microneedles having a millimeter-scale diameter, a very large diameter, relative to the size of a blood corpuscle (or cell). A diameter of a shaft of a microneedle may do serious damage to biological tissues while passing therethrough and cause pain in patients. The development of various diagnosis techniques and diagnosis chips to be applied to biological tissues has increased demand for detecting an analysis material from a living body, but the use of needles that may cause pain and inflict injuries on patients limits the use of various diagnosis technologies and equipment.
To address the limitations detailed above, microneedles having a micrometer-scale diameter have been proposed as an alternative and have been extensively employed for various purposes.
In particular, disease diagnosing devices for diagnosing diseases by collecting blood with a microneedle have been developed. In such disease diagnosing devices, a microneedle is used as a single-use product in order to eliminate the danger of secondary infection.
Namely, even though blood is collected once by disease diagnosing device using a microneedle, the occurrence of repeated bio-sampling due to user inadvertence may expose a patient to a risk of secondary infection due to blood remaining in the microneedle.